Defying Gravity
by Search.For.The.Light
Summary: Rachel's pissed, Kurt's confused, and all over one event! Pure Kurt/Rachel friendship. How I think things should've ended at the Diva competition. Oneshot.


**A/N: **Yes, I know, I'm a terrible person and have chosen to forsake my other stories to do this drabble. YOU MAY ALL KILL ME LATER. Except this drabble has been on my mind for ages, so I really, really wanted to post it. I hope you like it. **This is set after Wheels, and does contain spoilers! **Errr, have fun, reviews are love, and I promise to update my other stories as well.

This is just how I picture things ending. I don't own anyone, or there would be a lot of hell in the Glee club members lives. =D

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><p>Rachel Berry was pissed.<p>

It wasn't an emotion she felt often, no matter how much righteous indignation she showed to her Glee Club friends. Sure, she could definitely be ticked off sometimes, like when Finn had kissed her and left her out to dry, or upset, as she had been when she found out that Quinn had lied about the father of her baby. As everyone in the Glee Club had found out (much to their chagrin) Rachel was not one to hide her emotions. No, she was perfectly okay with expressing what she thought, no matter if it sounded egotistical or shameless. That was just the Rachel Berry everyone knew and (sometimes) loved.

But this emotion was something that she hid, for it was directed at one person in particular, along with a multitude of others. No, it wasn't Finn, surprisingly. Actually it was the least suspecting member of Glee – one Kurt Hummel. Now, let it be said that Rachel liked Kurt. Sure, she thought his voice needed some support and wasn't nearly as good as hers, but he did have a great voice. And his fashion sense was impeccable. Though the two of them bickered a lot, Rachel would willingly go up against an army of slushies for him.

As long as he'd help get them out of her clothes, of course.

This day was different. Something was different. Even though she had won that singing competition, she didn't feel happy. Because, she hated to admit it to herself, somewhere deep inside she knew that she hadn't really won. Sure, Kurt blew the note. But she had heard him hit that note before, not even yesterday. There was no chance that he could miss it, unless he was doing that on purpose. But why would he do that? The song had meant so much to him, as he had said himself. So what was it? Certainly not for her – no, he had been her fiercest competitor. Rachel didn't understand, and when she didn't understand something, she got mad.

Rachel was going to get to the bottom of this, she decided, hawk-like eyes on the gay boy during practice, if it was the last thing she did.

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><p>Kurt Hummel knew he was in trouble the instant he saw her face.<p>

Kurt had felt Rachel staring almost accusingly all practice, and had secretly promised that he was going to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. Except things didn't work out the way he expected, something he probably should've understood by now, but didn't. He and Mercedes were about halfway home when he realized that he had left his vintage jacket lying on the piano bench. There was no way in hell he was about to leave that lying around, where some grubby handed Neanderthal jock could get his hands on it.

The practice room was dark, which Kurt (mistakenly) took to mean that it was empty. The boy had just reached the jacket when all of a sudden, the lights came on, the door slammed shut, and there stood a very evil looking Rachel Berry. He had always privately thought girls were a little bit insane, but Rachel took that to the next level – she looked like she was going to rip his throat out.

That didn't, however, stop him from saying dryly, "You know, I think you got the wrong guy. I'm pretty sure it's Finn you want to trap in a room, not me. I am flattered by the thought but – "

"Why?" Rachel's voice, though soft, cut through his like a knife.

Kurt eyed her, having a feeling that he knew what she was talking about, but deciding to play dumb for the moment. He really didn't want to talk about his humiliating performance. "Why what? Why am I flattered? Because, obviously –"

"That's not what I meant, Kurt!" Rachel said, voice frustrated.

Now, Kurt was a bit intrigued by this. He hadn't expected Rachel to corner him like this, and act… mad. She should be happy! She won, after all, and wasn't that all she cared about? Kurt had almost expected her to rub it in his face, not… this… whatever _this_ was. Because Kurt really didn't know, and Rachel took that as an opportunity to launch into her lecture-mode.

"You know, I know I'm talented. Talent's been my best friend for 17 years, my only friend, and I know that I can be a bitch about it." Whoa. What just happened there? Kurt just blinked at her, unable to process this. Where was this going? Luckily for him, Rachel just kept the rant going, typical Rachel style. "But despite the constant need to be in the centre of attention – most likely derived from the fact that I'm an only child – I am definitely not deaf, nor am I blind."

This time, Kurt finally managed to get in a word edgewise. "I know you're not deaf, though you could certainly make me doubt it, with all the ignoring you do around here. Could you just get to the point, Rachel, I'm going to be late for my moisturizing routine, and I was already late _twice _this week because of Finn and I don't think –"

Kurt's ramblings were cut off by a very quiet accusation. "You blew high F."

Silence. Kurt's brain scrambled for an answer, but that silence was all Rachel needed. He was surprised to see hurt there, confusion, but the anger drained out of her posture. She sat down on the piano, looking at her hands. "I heard you, you know. Practicing. You hit it. High F, I mean. Several times. Of course you were straining for it, since it's out of your normal voice range and all, but you hit it. And then you blew it." Rachel played with the hem of her horrible pink and black checkered skirt. "You certainly didn't do it for me, since you obviously hate me, but you said yourself you loved the song. So why?"

Kurt was at a loss, but the first thing out of his mouth was, "I don't hate you."

Rachel's brown eyes widened for a moment, something that looked suspiciously like hope flaring in them, before she quickly shut it down. "Yeah, right." Kurt heard the bitterness in her voice, and was rather startled by it. Rachel just glared at him. "Why?"

A lot of things came to mind, but, surprisingly, the truth came out. "My dad." Rachel looked startled, and Kurt, for some unimaginable reason, felt the need to explain. "Some Neanderthal with the insecurity of a middle schooler called my dad and informed him that I was a fag. I, of course, am use to such lower-life insults, but my father… He is not."

Again, silence. Kurt didn't look at Rachel, knowing exactly what was going to happen. But, for the first time in Prada history, Rachel reacted the opposite of what he expected. "I understand." Kurt's head came up and he stared at her. She gave him a little smile. "I have two gay dads, remember? We get calls all the time. Normally, I'm the one who's home, so I pick it up most of the time. But still…." There was pain in her eyes, a pain that Kurt could immediately understand. "But why? I thought your father fought for you to have the chance?"

Kurt shrugged, trying to hide the pain he felt. He had wanted it. Wanted it so badly. Only for it not to come true. "I don't need a song to convince myself who I am. Or anyone else."

Rachel looked at him for a long time, long enough to make him uncomfortable. And then she nodded. "Okay. I'll tell Mr. Schue."

_Huh?_ Whatever train of thought Rachel had boarded, he had obviously been left behind at the station. Had Rachel finally lost it? He had known it was coming – the diva was just too much, well, diva – but she seemed calm enough. Resolute, even. "I'm almost afraid to ask," No, he really was afraid to ask. "But tell Mr. Schue what?"

"That you get to sing _Defying Gravity_. I don't want it anymore."

Two things occurred to Kurt at once. One, the fact that Rachel was being nice for the first time in the history of, well, ever. And two, his conclusion of her being insane was right. Or maybe he had misheard. But in front of him sat a stony-faced brunet, arms crossed over her hideous red owl sweater, who obviously expected him to say something at this point.

"You do too want it!" Was what Kurt finally came up with. "You fought so hard for it!"

Rachel nodded. "I know." She said with that self-confidence that made him want to shake her by her throat at times. But her voice dropped. "But I was fighting for myself. Don't look at me like that Kurt, I know exactly who I am. I'm self-centered, egotistical, and socially impaired. But you were fighting for someone else… I don't think I've done that before."

Kurt gaped. Was _Rachel Berry_, the Rachel Berry who was all the things she said and so much more, actually having a human moment? She was talking some more, but he really wasn't listening, too shocked to react. Rachel wasn't nice. At least not to him. Oh, sure, she did have some light in her. She honestly cared about the Glee club, about her family. But not about him. He couldn't understand it.

"…anyways, I got to be going. Daddy is taking me to voice lessons again, and I obviously have to choose a new song to sing that will make me sound equally fabulous, not that it's a hard thing to do. I'll see you at Glee practice, okay, Kurt?" Her voice was obnoxiously cheerful, the cheerfulness that he recognized. The same cheerfulness he used when he was hurt, and was probably going to bawl his eyes out once he got away from prying eyes, and would potentially ruin all his moisturizing routines for the next month.

Rachel had gone to turn around, and Kurt suddenly found himself grabbing her hand, halting her. She stopped, looking at him inquiringly, brown eyes full of so many things. She had never been good at hiding her emotions. Everything showed up on her face, and came out of her mouth. He supposed it was a good thing. Kurt hated to admit he was wrong, especially to himself, but something nudged him to say, "Rachel, I don't hate you."

Rachel rolled her eyes and pulled on her hand, trying to get him to release it and failing. "Of course you do. The whole Glee club hates me, except maybe Brittany, and I don't think she knows the meaning of hatred. So if you could just please just let me go, we could all go about our business."

And there she went again, the whole not listening thing. Kurt huffed in annoyance. "Honestly, Rachel, for someone so smart, you sure can be an idiot." Now that caught her attention. Rachel opened her mouth to protest – probably shrilly, too, and to save his ears, he cut her off. "I don't hate you. I don't like you at times, since you're a selfish attention-lover who _really _needs to get some fashion sense before the fashion police catches you." He paused, looking at her outfit with a wrinkled nose. "And I mean that. But anyway. That doesn't mean I hate you. You do have good points, and though you are my rival, I like you. Weren't you the one that says Glee changes people?"

Rachel was staring at him as if he had just pulled a Brittany Spears and shaved his head. "But you never say anything nice to me. You make fun of me."

"Of course I do. That's just me. Because I'm equal to the diva you are, and can't be outdone, of course." Kurt said, not impressed. "But Rachel Berry, you are a friend, whether I really want you to be or not."

Rachel's smile good outdo the sun (something that she'd love to hear but since Kurt didn't want her ego getting any bigger and crushing him he decided to keep to himself). "I've never had a friend before."

"Darling, you remember what you said. Glee can overcome any obstacle. Except maybe your fashion sense. Mercedes and I are going to definitely have to fix that before you become an eyesore for everyone. Can't let anyone say that New Directions causes the blind, now can we?"

As Rachel laughed, something lifted in Kurt. No, he didn't like Rachel all the time. But the selflessness she had displayed today showed him that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't impossible to be friends with her. Maybe not best friends – he wasn't sure that he could stand to be around her all the time, and Mercedes would flip – but friends.

Rachel had never expected to find a friend. And, sure, Kurt was a rather overly flashy gay boy who's stubbornness was only outdone with her own, but that was how he was supposed to be. It was simply Kurt, someone who defied odds.

In that moment, the two of them not only managed to defy stereotypes, but gravity itself.


End file.
